This just in! Trade shows are still an important and valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. Trade shows create a unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential consumers, clients, and the competition.

If you’re new to trade shows, you may not know what to expect. Of course, the concept is simple: businesses in the same or related industries get together to expand brand awareness, showcase their latest products, and close sales.

The question is, how do you design booths for trade shows that are engaging and unique enough to help your business stand out?

Read on for our complete guide to trade show booth design.

Start With a Plan

Designing your trade show booth should always start with some comprehensive planning. First, see if you can access a copy of the exhibition floor plan. This will give you a chance to see the layout of the trade show, where you are in relation to other businesses, and what the overall flow of trade show-goers will look like. 

Then, start to map out your own trade show booth. You want to create an intuitive design that allows visitors to see everything, engage with your exhibit, and ultimately subscribe to your email list or make a purchase. 

Come Up With an Engaging Theme

The best way to approach a trade show is with your best creative foot forward. Coming up with a theme for your trade show booth is a great way to engage the senses and immerse your booth visitors in a memorable experience.

To come up with a theme, think about what your business offers and the setting in which people might use your products or services. For example, a landscaping company could have a ton of fun building a trade show booth that looks like a gorgeous, colorful garden! Additionally, if your business operates in a non-profit sector or is linked in some way to similar services, a popular option is engraved text on a wristband made from silicon, these are comfortable for any size wrist and let people show off their support, it also spreads your branding around and means people at the trade show have something to take home from your business, so it will stick in their head.

Build In Branding

At the end of the day, you don’t want your theme or activities to overpower your branding. Remember, half of the goal of attending a trade show is to increase brand exposure.

Make sure that your company name, logo, color scheme, and more are all front and center. You want your booth visitors to come to you for the enticing experience and leave knowing exactly who you are and what you sell. 

Bring Your Trade Show Booth to Life With Technology

It’s no secret that we’re deep in the midst of the digital age. We all love our gadgets and the fun opportunities they present to us!

That’s why we always recommend that businesses incorporate technology into their booths for trade shows. For example, you can use a digital display or movie wall to run advertisements about your business or showcase certain products. If it’s relevant to your business, you can also give booth visitors a chance to experience virtual reality, something we’re seeing more of at trade shows.

And don’t forget about staying green with sustainable or recycled materials to create technology. Lots of companies now offer that you can Go green with our eco-friendly displays that can be customized with your company branding, whilst still supporting the planet.

Finally, don’t forget to equip your staff with tablets or smartphones that will make data collection easier. Visitors will appreciate the ease with which they can sign up for your email list when you have the right technology for it!

Capture Their Attention With Bold Graphics

Trade shows tend to create a sensory overload, and you should always assume that your booth visitors will have a short attention span. What that means is that you don’t want to task them with a ton of reading.

Instead, use bold graphics to capture their attention from afar. The more information you can share using imagery and short phrasing, the better. (Don’t forget to include branding imagery on all of your graphics!)

Draw the Eye With Custom Lighting

A great trade show booth draws visitor attention to all the right places with grace and subtlety. You don’t want to spend all day pointing your visitors in the direction of your products and promotional materials. You want them to go that way on their own.

The best way to do so is to use strategic custom lighting inside of your trade show booth. Box and display lighting is a great way to draw attention to your products. In fact, we recommend making your products the most well-lit thing in your entire booth!

Seal the Deal With Great Promotions

If half of your goal is to increase brand exposure, the other half is to generate leads–and close sales right there on the floor. 

One of the great things about participating in a trade show is that those who attend are almost guaranteed to be your target customer. After all, they’re there because they have some stake in your industry!

To sweeten the deal for your booth visitors, you’re going to need to come up with some product promotions. You should always offer the most enticing deal for sales that are closed on the floor. You can also generate leads by sending coupon codes or discounts to anyone who signs up for your email list during the trade show.

Don’t Work Alone to Design Booths for Trade Shows

Okay, we know what you’re thinking. Reading through this guide is helpful but it’s also making one thing very clear: booths for trade shows are no joke!

If you want to ensure that you blow away the competition on your very first try, don’t design your trade show booth alone. Enlist help from the experts by visiting https://rockwayexhibits.com/.

Grow Your Business With Trade Show Presence

Are you ready to grow your business and get to know your competition? If so, participating in a trade show should be high on your to-do list. With our guide, you can design booths for trade shows that are guaranteed to generate attention!

Looking for more ways that design can enhance your business? Take a look at our business section for the latest tips, tricks, and guides to improve your marketing and more.